by: Gideon C. Corgue
PAGADIAN CITY, Feb. 6 (PIA) – Kung unsa man ang mga butang nga akong gitan-aw nga dili nako makaya , akong gipaningkamutan nga mahimo. Ug kung asa ang butang nga akong gilisdan, ako kining tun-an ug paningkamutan nga masulbad(Whatever difficult things that I think I cannot achieve, I make every effort to succeed. And those things that I find hard to do, I will study and decipher it).
Thus declared the 15-year old Zoe Mnemosyne Ferrer, the 2012 regional champion of the Golden Wedding Cake Decoration Contest in an interview with Philippine Information Agency (PIA) IX during the recent Regional Student Technologists and Entrepreneurs of the Philippines (STEP) skills development competition at Teacher’s Center, barangay Dao, here.
Zoe, a senior high school student of Siocon National High School, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte is the eldest and timid daughter of the three (3) siblings of Noreinete Alta, a school nurse and Mayvelyn, a home economics teacher of the said institution, who are both experts in baking cakes.
Zoe, who was among the four (4) provincial skillful contestants, with much confidence displayed her rare and matchless talent in cake decoration over contenders in a 4-hour challenge, unanimously captured the judges’ hearts.
Dako kaayo nako nga dungog ang pagkaangkon ning maong award. Dili lang ni akoa, kung dili dungog usab kini sa eskwelahan nga akong girepresentahan ug ingon man sa akong mga ginikanan nga nagsuporta kanunay kanako (It is a big honor to receive this award. This is not only for me, but also for the school that I represent, and for my parents who have been very supportive), Zoe proudly said.
Zoe recounted that when she was 9 year old, she perceived her potential in cake making saying that by the time her parents prepared a cake, she used to observe and subsequently played with the left- overs.
It was in her freshman year in 2009, when she joined the first cake decoration contest organized by the Department of Education (DepEd), Regional Office IX in Kabasalan National High School (KBNHS), Zamboanga Sibugay where she ranked second; In 2010, her second attempt was in Pagadian City Pilot School, San Jose District where she bagged the second prize; In 2011, on her third attempt again in KBNHS where she finally capped the first prize.
As a regional contestant, Zoe participated during the national level competition held in Baguio City where she landed 5th from among the 16 contestants from all over the Philippines.
“ I did not expect that I will be chosen in the top 5 because the competition was very stiff. It was already a great honor for me to join the national level competition, never expecting to win , “ Zoe said in Filipino.
With her second attempt in the national finals this month, Zoe hopes to cap the top prize by reading magazines, learning difficult strokes, and listening to advices from her parents and friends.
“Zoe is truly a blessing to us,” said her father, Norie who is both her escort and coach in every competition. “She is likened to me,” Norie proudly said adding that Zoe “learned my skills” in cake decoration.
In every competition, Norie said ‘‘I taught her difficult strokes to impress and overwhelm the judges. Applying complicated strokes in the contest certainly became her competitive edge against other contenders,” Norie added.
Zoe is now busy preparing for the national competition this month.
The beautiful lass, a consistent second honor student, aspires to take up medicine when she graduates from high school.
